Firefly
by Zilleniose
Summary: Crossover with Firefly, sci-fiwestern - Chrno is the captain of a crew of bounty hunters who have a bounty on their heads as well. What happens when he encounters a certain blond-haired girl while fleeing from the Alliance?
1. Prologue

About a week or two ago, my Onni-Chan came home for my birthday weekend. :3 Well, since my internet was down during that time, and I wurvs my brother so much, we decided to do something together. I suggested anime, of course, but he's not that big of a fan other than Cowboy Bebop and a few others (Like FLCL and Love Hina. He never admitted he likes Love Hina, but I saw the stuff he was downloading on Kazaa…. Kukukuku….). So then he suggested Firefly, and I was like "ZOMG!11eleven!1". We've probably seen that series twenty times over. And you know what? It's still awesome. It's better than Star Trek (Yup, I'm a Trekkie), and HELLA better than Star Wars.

In fact, it's up there, RIIIIGHT under Chrno Crusade. Yeah, it's that good.

So watching the series again got me going, and I thought – "ZOMG!11eleven!1 – I can do a crossover!". Which, this 'fic, in its entirety, is not exactly a crossover. It's just using the base of Firefly (It's weapons, planets, concepts, etc), but no characters from it. Well, I may hint at it, but that's as far as it'll go. If you have any questions, because I know Firefly isn't a universal series (IT SHOULD BE!11eleven!), feel free to ask. :3 Have fun!

Disclaimer: I don't own Chrno Crusade. If I did, I'd have kept the series going… have Chrno and Rosette make many babies together… Mumblemumble

-

A young girl gently patted her feet against the grassy terrain, golden hair that ran just past her shoulders glittered in the midday suns, a light hymn strumming in her throat as she looked heavenward. Dust mixed with the lush vegetation in the plain, stirring only when it came in contact with her skin or harmonious tune that seemed to lift the very branches of the trees that hung lazily along the rim of the solitude clearing. Her lace-tipped dress mimicked the color of the cloudless sky, her dusty, white shawl flung out as she raised her arms as stepped into an elegant twirl, eyes closed as she inhaled the soothing air.

"A-ema no leeishe de so nuc coruve'eta…" She sung with her voice for the first time, opening her brilliant blue eyes to look towards her feet, dancing about as if she were at a festival. "S'ol le nocara ne… comiine et s'ol letia a…"

The whimsical flow of her singing stopped as a trio of footsteps boomed from the entrance of the clearing, as if nature itself had stopped from the sudden intrusion.

"Purty nice voice there ya got there, missy." A lanky man said as he held two fingers out, catching the freshly lit cigarette as he pulled it from his mouth to give the girl a suggestive grin. His hair was slightly messy, untamed and seemed like it hadn't been cut properly in ages, like his uneven shave around his mouth. He slipped a lazy hand into a pocket of his dusty brown trench coat, matching the color of his leather boots and torn, muddy jeans. The other three men that followed him had the same sly grin, though a little more clean-cut than the one before them. "How's about you come wit' us and make some more purty music…."

"Oh, I'm sorry." The girl replied with a genuine smile, lips showing a hint of red lipstick, matching the hinted shade of her cheeks. "I'm waiting for someone… I cannot leave until he gets here."

"Then let's make this clear and simple for ya…" Another gruff man replied, stepping forward to tower over the girl easily by a foot or so. "Come with us and we _won't_ give you a scar to show our pretty little children."

"Oi, Been, isn't she a little young?" Another man asked, putting his hands on his hips, tilting a dusty cowboy hat back to get a good look. "I swear, she couldn't be a day over fifteen, I'd say…."

"The younger th' better." The first one replied, running a hand through his black hair, inspecting the prize before him, who seemed to do nothing but show a sweet smile towards the men. "Been, nab her. Gag her if you must, but I want her back at the campsite without a scratch on 'er."

The taller man nodded with a sick grin and lunged forward, grabbing the girl by the wrist… which ultimately, became his demise.

Four gunshots were heard immediately as the man suddenly found a few of his fingers detached from his hand. Falling back in a cry of pain, gripping his damaged limb, the other three men pulled out their pistols, eyes frantically searching for the source of the shots.

The girl's face suddenly changed from innocent to determined as she leaped up and slammed the back of the man's neck, his larger body falling to the ground instantly. As soon as her feet touched the ground, a shadowed figure appeared from behind her, and brushed past her arm, and moved directly behind the last couple of targets. She knelt down and reached up her dress, pulling out a Government .45 pistol, pointing it expertly towards them.

The two men froze instantly, taken by surprise as they stood there, unaware of the shadow that loomed behind them.

"Billy Rancher, it's the end of the line." The girl grinned, pulling the safety switch off her gun. "Thought you may have been smarter than to take a stroll with so little bodyguards, with a 250,000 Yen bounty on your head. Drop your weapons if you don't wish to have your organs ripped out through your nostrils."

"Pretty touch words comin' from such a little lady." He snorted, leering at her with eyes set to kill. "I'd love to see you try."

"Oh, I won't…. but you may want to worry about my friend behind you." She grinned as both men immediately whirled around, only to be met with the click of a gun, and a furious pair of red eyes.

"I suggest you do as she says." A dark violet-haired man said flatly, the barrel of the gun resting on Billy's forehead. "'Cause my favorite pastime _is_ ripping people's organ out through their nostrils. I'm afraid I've perfected that skill."

The man's eyes widened as a shaky hand dropped his gun, his partner doing the same. "S-Sinner…" He stuttered, trying to meet back at the violet-haired man's glare, but unable to as he looked into piercing red eyes.

"Oi, Chrno!" The girl called, finally standing to her full height as she lowered her gun, aware of the control they already had of the situation. "You're going to make the guy soil his pants."

Chrno didn't reply, as he stared emotionlessly at his 'victim', before smirking a sick grin and slowly pressing his finger against the trigger.

"N-No, please! I'll do anything! I'll give you all the money I have!" The man pleaded, entire form shaking as he felt the tip of the gun press harder against his head.

"Sayonara," Chrno whispered, before pulling the trigger.

A fairly loud 'click' rang through the clearing, before Billy's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and fell backwards, fainted.

The violet-haired man couldn't stand it any longer, and began to chuckle to himself, holding his gut as he noticed Billy had peed his pants.

"How many times have I told you to stop doing that!" The girl yelled, cheeks slightly red from anger, as she watched Billy's partner stare in disbelief. "Get outta here you scum, before I use _my_ gun on you. And **_I_** have ammo!"

The man whimpered and looked at her from behind, and nodded, quickly sprinting away the was he came.

She sighed and shook her head, walking to the laughing figure at the edge of the clearing, clearly amused. "You know, you're going to give someone a heart attack one of these days. Then we won't get our reward." She said in a cocky tone, folding her arms as she looked up at him.

"Aah, sorry Rosette." He laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Some of these guys are just so gullible. That's the third time I left without any bullets!"

"One of these days…" Rosette groaned, rubbing her temples with one hand while the other slid her gun safely in the belt just under her dress.

"Shall we take him in then? Won't be much of a trouble to haul him back into the ship now." He suggested, and bent down, flinging the man over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

"Ooh, I can't wait… We'll get to eat _real food_ tonight!" Rosette sang happily, putting a hand to her cheek like she was in a state of pure bliss. "And a shower…. Oh Chrno, can we stay at a hotel? One with a shower?"

"I guess…" Chrno sweatdropped, and trotted out of the clearing. Yeesh, women and their obsession with showers. What's so great about them anyway?

"You could use one too." She added flatly.

"What!"

"You smell like _cattle_!"

"That's only because of our last mission! We barely had enough room on our ship to keep a dozen cows…"

"I think _everyone_ on that ship needs a good shower after that. Stop complaining, '_master'_." She huffed, arms still folded.

"I told you not to call me that…"

"If you're not, then why'd you have to shoot the fingers off that one guy? He _touched_ me. On the _arm_, Chrno."

"Hey, I saw where that was going. I didn't want you to get hurt is all – and can you keep it down? I don't have any bullets if this guy wakes up." Chrno coughed, motioning to the nearly motionless man over his shoulders, and as if on cue, he belched.

"Good gods, he smells worse than a ship left by Reavers…" Rosette immediately held her nose. "Think he has fleas? I think he has fleas."

"I think you need to keep quiet so he doesn't wake up from your repulsive voice and try to escape with our bounty."

Chrno had to sprint the entire way back to the ship, as bullets were shot meaninglessly into the air.

-

Yes, yes, I know. Short. It's a prologue! Gimme a break! w 

Anywhoo, if you're wondering what "Reavers" are, let me put it this way….. As quoted by Zoe from the Firefly series, "If they take the ship they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh, and sew our skins into their clothing. And if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order.". But they're basically people, more or less, that have gone insane to the extreme, partake in self-mutilation, and enjoy watching people squirm as they're about to die. Really sick. Don't want to run into them.

:3 I'm hoping to get the next chappie up soon, if homework allows it.

-Zoey-Chan


	2. Fateful Encounter

Well, here's the first chapter for ya:3 Thanks for all the reviewers already, and Kir-San, I feel for you! TT :Cries: Firefly should've never been canceled…. But at least there will be a movie out in September! Hopefully, someone will find out it was moronic to wipe it off the air, and sponsor it. I'd be so happy…. :Hopes:

Disclaimer: I don't own Chrno Crusade, or Firefly. If I did, they would have both continued. xD

;-; Amai-Chan! Jen-Sama! I WUUURVS YOOOOU!

oooo0000oooo

"How's it going, Jenai?" A particular blond-haired girl walked into the navigation room, munching on an apple. Her attire was much different from what she wore during their previous mission, and in fact, Chrno got a few more bullets whizzing past his ear for being the one who suggested she be the bait. She walked over right beside said pilot, stuffing her hands in a pair of tattered jeans, right under a rumpled white button-up blouse that seemed three sizes too big, and hadn't been washed in months.

"Well, everything seems stable. We just got an incoming transmission about 3,000 kilometers to the east, there's a dock down there with an open space." A white-haired man relaxed in his seat, looking over the monitor as he set it to autopilot for a moment. He glanced back at the girl, portraying a single ice-blue eye, the other covered by a red bandana that tied to the back of his head in a somewhat awkward way. His shoulders slumped a bit, his brown leather jacket sliding down his arms a bit by doing so. "And what are you doing eating an apple? You know how hard it is to get those?"

"Hey, it was in the kitchen, and I was hungry." She replied in a flat tone, giving him a small glare that immediately made the older man look the other way. "Besides, we're sure to find someone who's selling fruit in Persephone. There's a lot of crazy things sold there."

"Eh? Like you?" Jenai snorted, until his face was rudely introduced to Rosette's fist. He jerked back, rubbing his bruised nose, though he knew he asked for it.

"I'm not a '_thing'_, thank you very much." She huffed, taking another bite of her apple, almost growling at him like a dog would after being taunted. "Dùn.(1)" She muttered, before turning to walk out of the door of the control room. Yeah, as much as she'd try to hide it, she was really exited about getting down on solid ground. It wasn't very often they make stops at Persephone, and to her, it was a very memorable place… One full of both horrifying pain and joy.

Well, it wasn't like she'd miss the docking, in a ship such as this, it's never a very smooth landing. It would probably take at least another half an hour, so she figured she could relax a bit down in her private quarters, or harass their prisoner. That was always fun, but Chrno didn't much approve of it.

When she first stepped on board, her life went upside down and slung into a blender a couple times, so much she was afraid she couldn't see straight. For the earliest years of her life, she had been pushed and shoved around, always told what to do and where to go, then suddenly… she became part of a crew who's occupations consisted entirely of bounty hunters, and she no longer had someone to watch over her every second of her life like she was used to. Chrno used to do that for a while, but when she started to get older, she was treated like an adult, as she should. It was just a big change for her, while still so young.

"At first I refused to warm up to you…" She whispered to herself, hands running through her hair in an act of frustration and anxiousness. Her arms dropped as she stared out one of the rear windows, still aimed towards the stars from which they came. For the four years she had been here, this became home. The stars became her home, the endless sea of stars that once terrified her had become a protective blanket; and every once and a while, she felt the refusal to leave it.

"Rosette?" Came a soft voice from the back corridor, light footsteps approaching her as she lifted her head. She saw the familiar form of her protector, red eyes gleaming softly in the dim light. "That's odd, you're never one to reminisce." He said with a laugh, walking over and leaning against the wall beside her, hands casually tucked in his pockets as she peered down to her contemplative face.

"Hey Captain." She said with a slight grin, looking up above her, as he always seemed to tower over her.

He grimaced a bit at that, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Something on your mind?" He asked.

She smiled and looked down at her feet, balling her hands up into fists that tightly clutched the ends of her loose blouse. "Nothing, it's just…. It's been a while since we've been to Persephone."

"You don't like the place, I take it." He said calmly, smiling down at her, violet bangs brushing low over his vibrant ruby eyes. "Can't say I blame you."

"No, it's not that." She frowned slightly, not wanting him to see the emotional side of her – nobody ever sees Rosette Christopher teary-eyed. "Just a lot of memories… mostly horrifying ones, yes…. But some good ones too."

"…About Joshua?" He asked in an even softer voice, afraid that mentioning his name would hurt her even more than it did when she was younger.

She sighed inwardly, and with a forced smile upon her lips, nodded. Of course her little brother was on her mind, but… not right now. Not that she'd tell _him_ that. "Also about….what would have happened had Gaiun gotten a hold of me."

"Ah, but he didn't." Chrno said with a smirk, bringing up a hand to ruffle up her hair a bit, a gesture she hated because it made her seem like a kid, but knew she found it comforting. "Don't worry about it, Rosette. There's no way you'll get taken by the likes of him."

"Yeah, God must have really been smiling down upon me." She said with sarcasm thick in her voice, looking up at him with a small grin. "I got stuck with _you_. Oh joy."

"Hey, you're not being fed to _creatures_ as a midnight _snack_ because of me." He huffed, showing a childish sort of gesture as his cheeks puffed out with a bit of annoyance. She just laughed at him.

"No, I'm gonna get shot to death because my lazy-ass partner never brings any bullets with him on missions."

"I don't do that very often!"

"Oh, hush." She smiled and elbowed him in the gut, making the taller man wince and let out a wholehearted laugh.

"You know, I never thought I'd warm up to you, Captain." Rosette giggled as he held his stomach, looking down at her with a look that had the eyes of a lost puppy, and grin of a devilish fox.

"I never thought I would," She closed her eyes, leaning onto his form softly with a small blush on her cheeks. "cóng lái bù…(2)"

oooo0000oooo

Down a long musty street full of small shops and handmade carts, with ships thrumming past as often as a bird would flutter by, Chrno walked down with a wandering eye, hands slung in his pockets as they usually are.

It was about ten years after he fled from the Alliance, making eight years of solid bounty hunters' work. There wasn't much choice he had at this point… all of the outer planets were desolate and couldn't offer much of a working wage, and go too far in, the Alliance will be ready to capture him quicker than he could turn his tail to leave. It wasn't as bad as many would think, or hear, and to Chrno it's one of the better lives he came to live. A fluctuating, but good pay… He had a good ship, and a very loyal crew that followed him, including his 'sister', and a friend he had made in the early years of a soldier for the Alliance. Plus he got to see and travel through new worlds he never even heard of.

Currently, his little sister was prowling around the port they docked in for any interested customers with a load of cash in their pockets. Hitchhikers were pretty common in Persephone, and with a 'Howler', people will pay good money to ride it, since they were pretty hard to find nowadays with a working engine. Most are unstable and can easily get lost in hyperspace while going at a maximum speed, but with his little sister….. well, she's found nothing that makes her happier than tinkering with machines. She made a ship more reliable than a Federation cruiser.

"Number twenty-six! Number twenty-six up for bid!"

Chrno lifted his gaze from his current position, spotting a fairly large crowd of people, considering it was in the middle of the streets. There were whispers and eager gossip already abound, and he quickly noted most of the people gathering were men. Interested, he walked towards the direction of the crowd, one eyebrow raised in curiosity as he peered over at a soapbox stage a rather large, short man had made.

Behind the plump man was a small store, probably rented for whatever he was selling. A red, rather expensive-looking silk curtain draped over the opening, contrasting greatly with the bent woodwork and steel pipe holding up part of the wall, sticking out rather crudely at an angle as well, rusted and cracking.

The curtain rustled a bit, before the large man spoke again. "She's a cute one, perfect for any young man's collection."

With that, a young blond girl stepped out from behind the silk fabric, breathing a little hard, cheeks slightly pink, as though whoever was in the back had a tough time shoving her out there. Her blue eyes sagged in a depressed manner, her lips pressed tightly together, wrists bound with tight rope in the front of her body as she walked forward, wearing nothing but a large, dirtied white t-shirt.

"Miss Rosette Christopher, please state your number and statistics." The man said with a grin that made Chrno cringe with disgust. It was a slave auction….

"Rosette Christopher, number twenty-six." The young girl said in a forced, yet small voice. "Age eleven; Breed class, fertile, virgin." She winced a bit, noticing how her last comment made some of the men in the audience whoop and holler.

"Miss Christopher has been bought and returned twice now, and has quite a bit of spunk. She's a hard worker, but the problems arise when she's brought to bed." The man said with an unwavering voice, making the girl glare at no one in particular. "Still, a very charming product. May I start the bid at…. 200,000 Yen?"

Chrno almost hurled, first at the way all of the men rose onto their tip-toes at the mention of 'virgin', then at the seller's choice of words. He made her sound like an item, not a human being. But then again, this kind of thing isn't that uncommon… it's nothing he can help. With a frown, he stuffed his hands back in his pockets, only catching a glimpse of the blond-haired girl, who seemed to have tears forming in her eyes.

"250,000!"

"280,000!"

"281,000!"

"_500,000_!"

The last bid made many of the bidders gawk, and a few of the passer-bys, including Chrno.

"500,000 Yen, cash." A rather gruff man said, shoving his way through the crowd. He had black messy hair, a tall figure, seemed to be only a little older than Chrno's appearance. He reached into the pocket of a clean white shit, pulling out a card and handing it to the salesman. "Gaiun Tommers, covert trader."

Many of the men grumbled, the familiar name ringing through their ears, knowing there was no way the money in their pockets could outbid this man.

Rosette immediately got wide-eyed, features glazing over with fear. She too, knew who he was.

"Reaver operative." Chrno growled under his breath, stopping in his tracks. There were a few of them roaming around Persephone around the slave trades, picking out suitable prey for the deranged creatures. There were rumors that Reavers pay heftily for young maidens brought to them on a silver platter, but they only seem to trust a select few. Gaiun was one of the more infamous of them, and carries more than enough solid cash on him to outbid an emperor.

The salesman blinked, uncertainty crossing over his features as he looked at the card, then nodding and handing it back to the bidding man. Shoulders slumping as if he felt sorry for the poor child, he called out the confirmation.

"500,000 Yen! Would anyone like to challenge this bidder?" He gestured one hand high, as he saw some of his valuable buyers begin to leave the crowd, murmuring about damned Reavers, or that they wanted to have a chance as well.

After a few moments, the crowd began to diminish, only a few wealthy looking gentlemen staying, arms crossed as they waited for the next item up for bid, knowing once Gaiun sets his sights on something, he _will_ get it.

"Going once!" The man bellowed, voice faster than usual. Gaiun's lips curled into a devilish grin, leering straight through Rosette as the young child whimpered, tears now streaming down her cheeks as she collapsed to her knees, whispers erupting from the rented shop behind her, where no doubt other children were kept. "Going twice!"

"510,000!" Another male voice bellowed, as both the salesman and Gaiun whirled around with shock, the rest of the crowd soon following, eyes just as wide with surprise.

Chrno stepped forward, a small drop of sweat appearing at his temple as he gripped his hands into fists, whispers erupting from the crowd and back inside the shop. "I bid 510,000." He said calmly.

"_Sinner_." Gaiun sneered, turning to face the ruby-eyed man with a stern, infuriated look. Chrno simply replied with a glare as cold as ice, baring his fangs ever so slightly at the offending man.

"Hold your tongue, or I'll _rip_ it off." He said coldly, anger thick in his voice as Gaiun stiffened, and turned back around, avoiding any more eye contact. If he wanted to dance, so be it.

"600,000." Gaiun replied, keeping his distance from his challenger, a smirk appearing on his lips.

"650,000." Chrno added just as quickly, keeping an emotionless face as he showed no sign of backing down. Gaiun turned to look at him, a little shocked that someone such as him would go all out for a single slave girl.

"Why the sudden interests in slaves, Sinner?" He asked in a disgusted tone, sneering at the taller man once again, tone and gestures literally drowning in insult. "You've never been known to partake in illegal auctions."

Chrno's eyes drifted towards the young blond-haired girl, still on her knees, eyes damp and red as she stared at the two of them, with an expression of a cornered mouse being fought over by two hungry cats. "None of your business, _filth_." He hissed, baring his fangs at the man again.

"_Filth_?" He glared, taking the cigarette out of his mouth, reaching for the pistol strapped against his belt on the right side, ready to whip it out at any given moment. "Because I'm giving her to Reavers? At least they have enough mercy to _kill_ their prey after they toy with them… Even **_I_** feel sorry for the slave given to a _demon_."

"Did you not _hear_ me?" Chrno growled, facing the man with flaring eyes, pupils dilated into tiny slits as they shot right into the man. "If you do not keep your cowardly comments to yourself, I will rearrange your organs into alphabetical order. You can't even _begin_ to imagine the pain you'll encounter if you piss me off."

Gaiun turned his gaze again, hands shifting in his pockets nervously, as the salesman watched with wary eyes, afraid to say anything, lest he bend the last straw for either one of them.

"Fine, take the girl. Enjoy your _meal_, Sinner." Gaiun spat, turning and taking his leave down the road and past other shopkeepers who had retreated from their posts to see what all the commotion was about.

Chrno just glared at the man as he walked away, then turned to the salesman with a demanding look in his eyes.

"S-sold!" The man nodded, a grim smile on his face as he hurriedly picked Rosette off her feet, wrapping an additional rope on the one binding her hands, and shoved her forward, holding the end of the rope out. "N-now, about your payment…."

Chrno just snatched the rope and brought the whimpering girl closer to him, baring his fangs at the man. "I have no obligation to pay such a _disgusting_ organization. If you truly think it's worth it, by all means, ask me again." With that, he didn't even wait for a response, and turned to walked back down the road from which he came.

The salesman opened his mouth to object, knowing he lost more money than he could make in a month, but snapped it back shut. The rumors were too gruesome about "Chrno the Sinner", and he didn't want to be the one to test them. With a nod, he retreated back into his shop, defeated and penniless.

After walking a ways, Rosette couldn't hold in the tears anymore, and began to hiccup, trying her best to keep her voice down as she was dragged along by her captor.

Chrno stopped in his tracks and aimed his deadly glare at her, only to have it soften immensely at her frightened gaze. He groaned and scratched his head, wondering what the Hell made him go through all of that… "Miss…. Rosette, was it?"

"Y-yes?" She squeaked, shivering a bit from her tears, her mind racing as she tried not to think what may happen to her if she said something wrong.

He looked down at her with a puzzled expression, trying hard to find the words, having no idea how to deal with a crying child. Poor thing, he doesn't blame her if she was sold and returned twice. "You… don't really have to worry about anything, okay?"

She just sniffled, shifting her gaze slowly down to her bare feet with pink eyes and cheeks. How couldn't she worry? She was just sold to someone who had a reputation possibly even worse than Reavers, and was claimed to be inhuman. "….What are you going to do with me, master?" She asked with a small voice, on the verge of tears again.

"Well, I would untie those ropes and shove you out onto the street, but that lunatic would just pick you up again." He turned back around and dragged her along, a little embarrassed. "So you're coming back to my ship, and I'll let you off at the first planet we pass that outlaws slavery." He grimaced and looked absolutely disgusted. "And for the love of God, _please_ don't call me 'master'."

The young girl blinked, looking up at the violet-haired man with curiosity, but still wary. He couldn't tell her he went through all that just because he fell _sorry_ for her or something. "S-sorry, mast… sir." She whispered, eyes drooping again, but ceased to cry.

"You can call me Chrno, I have a name." He added with as soft of a tone he could muster with such a foul mood he was in. "You don't need to call me 'sir' either. Don't be so formal, it's not like you're going to be a slave anymore."

She paused for a moment, staring up at him from behind as he gently pulled her along. "Kuro…no…" She repeated slowly, as if saying a forbidden word.

He didn't respond, but slowed his pace just a bit to they were almost walking side by side. Her lips slowly curled into a light smile.

oooo0000oooo

GAH. I'm tired. :Falls asleep on keyboard: Sorry for another short chapter, I promise the next one will be longer. Homework has been horrible… and I think I've got some sort of a stomach flu. ;; Aaaaah well, I'll still have time to work on it. :3

If you all were wondering, yes, Chrno is still a demon. There's more to it than that though, you'll find out in the later chapters. ;3 Ciao!

(1) Chinese, which is used frequently in Firefly. Means 'moron'.

(2) Chinese, mean's 'never', or 'never did'.

Zoey-Chan


	3. Persephone

Nya, sorry it took so long for this chappie to come out… Been really busy lately. School's been a bitch, and I'm sick again. :groans and bites her missed homework:

oooo0000oooo

Rosette really wondered why they never made a stop to Persephone before after she was 'acquired' (Lightly put, they had been pretty much forced to take her, and Chrno wouldn't let anyone complain about it.), seeing as they had flown past it numerous times by now. Of course she knew Chrno wasn't the type to fall into deep thoughts about his past and reminisce of things long gone. In fact, he flat out told her so years ago. Maybe that's why she's able to live in the future a little easier now.

She placed one bare foot onto the dusty ground, pounded in tightly by hundreds of thousands before her, breathing in the slightly perfumed air of fresh food and not so appealing body odor of pretty much every person in the street. Okay, so no one here really had good hygiene, not like her and her crew didn't… Nowadays of course, you'd have to be practically a millionaire to afford a shower every day, and stay on a single planet comfortably – with _clean_ water. Like here in Persephone, you never want to drink anything other than pre-packaged carbonated beverages and fruit juice, simply because you don't know what could be living in the water you could scrounge up.

"Ne ne, Kurono" Rosette said in a sultry voice, watching as her captain stepped out of the shuttle, instantly grimacing at the sound of her voice. She hopped over, bare feet almost on top of his as she cuddled herself close to his chest.

"No." He said flatly and pushed her aside lightly, looking tired of the same game she played over and over at every stop they make…

"But I want some _real_ food! I'm getting sick of that freeze-dried crap we've got on the Howler!" She instantly puffed out her cheeks, a bit pink with anger as he pushed her aside and continued off the docking port, ignoring her. Jenai stood at the entrance behind her, arms folded across in the same manner.

"She has a name you know." He said in an insulted voice, pulling down his bandana over both eyes as the sun hit him, pulling his trench coat to and buttoning it up in a few spots. "Stop calling her by her class. It's not proper."

"Oh, and you are?" She asked in an amused tone, placing her hands on her hips. "Why don't you tell Sheda and Mr. Stick-up-his-ass Chrno and I are going shopping?"

"I told you, I'm _not_ giving you any money." Chrno yelled back as his eyes twitched, placing his hands in his pockets as they both looked back at him, a little surprise he heard them still talking. "You spent everything I gave you on some silly dress last time we stopped in Galileo. "

"Not my fault a girl needs to feel pretty every now and then." She replied quietly, but he still heard her nonetheless, and sighed, shaking his head. Women are so confusing… Glad there were only two on his ship…

"Did someone say shopping?" A girl's voice called from the entrance, shoving past Jenai in a frantic attempt to catch up with Chrno, a smile wide on her lips. Rosette could only flag her down, giving her a frown as she watched the green-eyed mechanic slow to a stop and pant like an animal.

"Captain's not being very generous today." She said simply, as the mess of chocolate brown hair looked at her eye level, lips tightly bound together in a pathetic frown.

"But the generator needs a new left blade! It's not gonna run for long at this rate…" She said longingly, looking back at the ship fondly, pondering whether or not she should do a little pick-pocketing today to earn some extra cash for her 'baby'.

Rosette sighed inwardly, kicking up some dust with her feet as Sheda continued to ramble on about how so many things should be replaced on their ship, or they'll end up stuck in the middle of the big black with no life support. She knew it was pointless to ask for some money on this day, since they were on such a tight budget recently. They just weren't hitting the planets right – almost everywhere they went someone had just cleaned out the bounty list on half the hemisphere, and their ship just started going through some tough hiccups. At one point about a week ago, their emergency life support engine blew and the entire internal circuit fried, meaning they'll have to buy a new one entirely. And they aren't cheap.

"Well, I'm going to look around a bit, you want to come?" She lifted her head, blinking at the mechanic with a slight smile. They may not have any money now, but she's learned from the best at pick-pocketing - Chrno's so-called 'little sister'. In fact, they usually make little trip out at pit-stops and get some change to buy something to occupy their minds for a while, like hand-made accessories and if they could find some – fruit. Fruit was pretty rare out away from all the Alliance's inner planets, where vegetables were easier to grow and scarce enough as it was. Fruit was a treat only a princess could have – but sometimes, they'd find some.

"Poke around? Sure thing." Sheda grinned, catching her drift as she ran beside the blond-haired girl excitedly. In truth, at first Sheda despised Rosette the moment she set foot on the ship – taking all of her 'brother's' attention away from her and onto a stupid little slave girl he dragged with him purely from sympathy. She was only what…. Nine when she came on board? But she was instantly just what the crew needed, someone to help with the cleaning and ye gods, even Vid admitted it – she was absolutely adorable. Rosette quickly replaced Sheda's role as 'cute little sister figure' of the group, not that she minded that entirely too much… She just knew the moment she saw her, she was a rival. A rival for Chrno.

But soon she came to accept that, especially lately, that she had lost. She of all people knew how Chrno really felt beyond his words, and could see his affection for the small girl clearly. He may not want to admit it, but he, Chrno the Sinner, had fallen for a little fifteen year old slave girl.

"Where should we look first?" Rosette asked in a semi-bored tone, flinging her arms behind her head as she snatched a few bills from a passerby's back pocket, instantly rolling them and sticking them in the collar of her shirt. Ah yes, Sheda had taught her well.

"Wherever they're selling engine parts for my baby." She replied with a grin, getting jittery with excitement. She always was a mechanic nerd when it came to ships, ever since Chrno hired her nearly ten years back, when she had hopelessly fell for him and devoted her life to learning about the damned piece of junk she was working on. When she first came, there was only Jenai and her captain… and they were utterly useless. Poor ship was nearly in pieces by the time she came into the picture, was barely able to fly in hyperspace without losing any vital parts necessary to run the thing.

It wasn't entirely their fault – their ship was different. Class "Howler", mostly for the insanely loud 'howl' it makes before blasting into hyperspace, and its type was banned from the Alliance nearly a hundred years ago. You just don't see them anymore, unless of course, you're a wealthy fugitive. Which in itself, is an oxymoron. The only way to live with the Alliance constantly on your tail is to either become vultures, or bounty hunters. At least they don't pick off the dead…. Much….

The only advantage of such a noisy ship was that it could travel through hyperspace faster than pretty much any other class – part of the reason why the Alliance banned them. Their shape was too difficult to create the standard hull armor the group always had on all of their official ships, so just about anyone could get their hands on one and strip it of the godforsaken Alliance 'marking', and escape with it halfway across the star cluster.

"Doesn't Jenai need a….. y'know…." Rosette gestured, eyes wandering to every single person that passed them on the dusty streets, spying for another opportunity. "He's been acting a little weird lately."

"I know nuthin' of Alliance trash." Sheda replied, slipping her hand past someone in the same fashion her 'pupil' had, grabbing a small wad of cash from someone's back pocket. "He usually takes care of it himself….probably looking around already."

Rosette opened her mouth to reply, but was abruptly cut off as she felt a strong arm wrap around her neck, pulling her back in mid-step, as she let out a surprised cry.

"Didn't I tell you to stay on the ship, _Rosette_?" Came a very annoyed voice of Chrno, looking down at her, still holding her in a vice-like grip.

"Captain!" She about screamed at him, half in relief and half in irritation. "There are other ways to get my attention you know."

"And had I been anyone else, you would have been gagged and thrown into some alley and into another slave trade. Get back on the ship. Now." He replied flatly, not taking his gaze off her.

"I'm not that innocent little girl you _found_ here six years ago, captain; I think I can handle myself." She snapped back, pulling his arm away from her shoulders and neck. "I just want to do some shopping, we've been on that blasted ship for weeks."

"Then you'll just have to wait another few weeks. Back on the ship."

Christ! What was his problem, all of the sudden? Sure it was a little dangerous for a young girl to be wandering on Persephone, but she wasn't alone, and she had a gun in her back pocket. She was anything but venerable. "_Captain_…" She groaned, staring at him in a way that both pleaded and screamed to be let free. "I promise to stay out of trouble, I'm with Sheda."

"Which makes me even more nervous – now you're going back. Vid is on the ship waiting for you." He replied, staring back down at her with a bit of apology, though it was barely recognizable in blazing red eyes.

"No." She huffed, and gave up, going back to her stubborn nature that resembled a five year old. "I want to stay."

"Rosette…"

She only replied by whirling around on her heels and walked back towards an amused Sheda, like she was watching a sitcom. Though within a few seconds, he repeated her name in a slightly more demanding tone, though she sluffed it off like it was nothing.

And again, within seconds, he was standing right in front of her, her name on his lips in an even harsher tone. This time when she ignored him though, she brought an arm around her waist and picked her up, slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, making her yelp at the sudden contact.

"C-Captain! Let me down! People are staring!" She yelled at him, and pulled on his hair, blushing furiously at the glances that were thrown their way.

"You act like a child, you're treated like a child, Rosette." He replied coldly, and began walking towards the docking port, which would be at least a good five minutes of people staring at them, though she was grateful she wasn't wearing a skirt today…

"What's got you so uptight lately?" She growled slightly, but when she was met with no respond, she sighed. "Fine, I'll go back. Now put me down, _master_." She emphasized her last word, knowing he absolutely despised being called that.

He set her down gently to her feet, but then wrapped his larger hand around her wrist, pulling her along, letting her know he did not appreciate that in the least.

She sighed and kept up with his pace, before they neared the docking area, where he slowed and turned around, pulling her close. "Rosette, I don't appreciate being questioned like that, especially on a planet so close to the Alliance base."

She looked up at him, blinking in a hint of confusion. "What does that mean?"

"There are a few troops not far from here, and I want everyone back on the ship immediately. You're no exception." He replied, and began to pull her along, at a slower pace, but still felt rushed.

"What? Then why didn't you tell Sheda to come?" She asked, taken aback by his statement; because by now, she had convinced herself he was just being too overprotective.

"She has to find replacement parts for the engine, I sent a message on her decoder – which by the way, you left yours on the ship. You're so irresponsible."

"Not as bad as leaving _ammo_ on the ship…"

"Now's not the time, Rosette." He brought her in front of him, right as they walked up to the entrance of said destination. "Jenai and Sheda are going to be a while, so I want you and Vid to stay on the ship, stay out of trouble."

"Why are you so worked up, Captain?" She asked for the second time that day, placing her hands on her hips.

"Look, I just got worried when you didn't answer your decoder – I thought someone had gotten a hold of you." He replied quietly, turning away from her. "That's all."

"Chrno…" She frowned at that, feeling like nothing more than trouble for him. He really was horrible at expressing his emotions…. "Fine. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Captain. It won't happen again." She nodded and walked up the steps, her dusty feet relaxing against the cool metal.

"Yes it will." He laughed, shaking his head as he headed back out. "Just don't pull my hair next time… or call me 'that', okay?"

She blinked and looked back behind her with a hint of curiosity. Again, she felt that urge to ask him that one question that was constantly on her mind, along with so many others…. But as he swiftly turned around, brown trench coat swaying ominously behind his feet as he trudged on the dusty path to the exit of the docking station, she pulled back that pinching in the back of her mind. She'll probably never know, not that that'll change anything between them.

She walked back inside the ship, the aged doors creaking softly behind her as they sealed themselves together tightly once again. She ventured to the innermost part of the ship, the recreational quarters, and peeked around in the kitchen, feeling her stomach grumble loudly. Now she kind of wished she saved that apple…. She never did find anything on that short trip with Sheda.

"Ah, Rosette." A strong male voice called behind her, as footsteps cautiously made their way, louder every passing second. It was pretty quiet in here without the rest of the crew…. "Did Captain tell you what's going on?"

She turned around casually, hands slipping in her tattered jean pockets for some comfort. She hated not being able to do anything… but she knew it would only make Chrno worry worse now that there were troops out and about, possible even looking for them. But here suddenly on Persephone….. it was odd. "Yeah… I never expected to run into Alliance troops here. A little surprising…"

Vid sighed and walked into the kitchen, past her thoughtful form with mild interest. "Well, you know how badly they want Captain's head…" He said softly, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water and twisting off the lid. He was a pretty big man, height reaching to about Chrno's, but his body was so well-built with muscles, so you barely noticed that he was pretty tall. His eyes were a little slanted, a dark chocolate brown adorning his irises, almost matching his jet black, messy hair.

"Did Chrno ever tell you why he's constantly running from the Alliance?" She asked, trying to keep the situation as casual as possible, in hopes of letting Vid have something slip out on accident. Of course she knew he told him, she's asked him before. But without anyone around, he may actually tell her…

"Yes." He replied directly, something the blond girl hadn't heard before. "But he also told me not hours after you came aboard to not tell you."

That sent her anger boiling, brows furrowing in a defiant manner as she pulled her hands out of her pockets and placed them roughly on her hips. "I'm part of this crew too, right? I have the right to know about my captain's past!"

"None of us have a right to know." Vid replied simply. "You're still a child, Rosette."

That really hit a nerve. "Child? _Child_?" She grit her teeth, but at the same time, could almost hear Chrno's voice, frantically trying to tell her to calm down. She detested being called a child, for all that she's been through in her life – first losing her parents, then her brother, then being pulled into an outrageous slave trade where she had been bought and sold twice. "I'm fifteen now, you can't call me a child." She put simply.

"Once you're sixteen, I may consider it." He replied with a grin, walking back over towards her towards the hall, and ruffling her hair, his bottle of water in the other hand.

Vid really was a good person, and a strong warrior. It was no wonder he made fast friends with Chrno, but one of his best qualities seemed to be the most annoying. "You know how to keep promises." She said quietly, sighing in defeat as she shrugged. "But, there's still one more thing I'd like to ask you. Something that's been on my mind for a while now."

"Shoot." He looked over his shoulder, turning to face her with a puzzled look. Rosette took a small breath in, blushing a bit. She wondered this from the first time she met Chrno, and it constantly bugged her…. Sure, she knew he was different from a lot of people, but it was still enough to peak her curiosity.

"Why doesn't Captain like me calling him '_Master_'?"

oooo0000oooo

Chrno swiftly made his way down the dusted road, eyes intent on finding the last of his crew. He wouldn't let one of them get caught by Alliance soldiers…

A blur of white passed before him, making him stop dead in his track as his face paled, as if he saw a ghost. He had the terrible feeling of being followed….. and it didn't feel like a soldier.

"Brother… why do you insist on hiding?" He asked quietly, barely audible over the bustling crowd around him as it occurred to him.

_Hurry, Chrno. They're getting closer_. A voice in his mind taunted, deep and confident. The violet-haired man grit his teeth, and pushed himself forward, rushing faster than he had before. _Hurry and find your little human pets_.

He shut his eyes tightly against the painful dust as he hurried upwind, heart beating faster as an amused chuckle echoed through his mind.

"_Aion_…" He whispered, voice drowning in solid hatred, in perpetual fear as he hurried forward, frantically searching for his two remaining crew members. "Sheda, Jenai…." He growled, ruby orbs catching the light of the twin suns and flaring in a threatening manner momentarily. "Don't let him catch you…"

oooo0000oooo

Whew! That was kinda short too, or atleast, what I'm used to. o.o I'm sorry about it taking so long, there's just been a lot of crap going on rescently, and I can barely get on the computer if I'm not doing homework. ;; When I am, I'm RPing with NightElfCrawler. x3 Well, hope this little cliffhanger got you guys going! If not, eh, oh well. o.o;; And by the way, no, Sheda, Vid, and Jenai aren't demons. But if you've caught the hints so far, Jenai isn't completely human either. x3 I'll try and get the next chappie up sooner, I promise! T.T


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